Implementing a Successful Quality Improvement Curriculum With a Required Resident-Led Project in a Pediatric Residency Program

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requires that residents receive training in quality improvement (QI). There is a lack of data regarding QI curricula during pediatrics training. Our aim was to examine the implementation of a QI curriculum in a university-affiliated, community-based pediatric residency. The curriculum includes didactics, faculty mentorship, and instructional worksheets, and culminates in a resident-led QI project with Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles. From 2018 to 2024, 97 residents completed 72 QI projects. The percentage of residents completing a project rose from 7% pre-implementation to 100% post-implementation. Of the projects, 65 (90%) were presented at regional research symposia, and 14 (19%) were presented at national or regional conferences. Frequent targets of projects included vaccinations (13% of all projects), breastfeeding (8%), asthma management (7%), mental health (7%), and nutrition and obesity (7%). A QI curriculum in a pediatric residency fosters resident-led QI, promotes the completion of projects, and engenders opportunities for conference presentations.